


Dawn Of The 28th

by xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Birthday, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Island Mode (Dangan Ronpa), Light Angst, Love, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, References To Literally Everyone Else, Surprise Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:55:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23905003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username/pseuds/xXPokeFictionXx_Is_A_Horrible_Username
Summary: Hajime Hinata wakes up on the dawn of April 28th to the fact that no one had remembered it was Nagito's birthday. He scrambles to prepare a party while Chiaki distracts him.Nagito comes to the realization that perhaps his birthday would be better than expected, whilst Hajime comes to the realization that bribery is less needed than he thought it'd be.
Relationships: Hanamura Teruteru & Hinata Hajime, Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Komaeda Nagito & Nanami Chiaki
Comments: 9
Kudos: 199





	Dawn Of The 28th

On the dawn of April 28th, Hajime Hinata came to a startling realization.   
  
It was Nagito Komaeda’s birthday, and nobody knew about it. Hajime normally wouldn’t care about missing a classmate’s birthday much, but in this case, he had to make an exception. Currently, he and his classmates were on Jabberwock Island for some obscure friendship program their “teacher”, Usami, had come up with. 

  
And, considering the only way off the island was to collect everyone’s “hope fragments”, well. Missing a birthday might cause some serious damage to their goal.

Besides, Nagito wasn’t a bad guy. A bit strange, sure, but he seemed fairly harmless. So, Hajime decided he’d do his very best to make sure the taller boy would have a good birthday.

But, again, the boy had realized it was the white-haired Ultimate’s birthday  _ on  _ his birthday. This left very little time to prepare.   
  
“Shit!” He swore to himself, rushing to get dressed. It was a good thing he’d decided to check his e-Handbook to see which Hope Fragments he was still missing before going out that morning, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have realized. 

_ “This would be a great time to try and bond with everyone, so I can’t miss it,” _ Hajime thought to himself, his resolve strengthening as he rushed out of his cabin. But what should he prepare first…? 

He didn’t really know Nagito all that well yet, he realized. He didn’t know what his favorite flavor of cake was, or what he might want as a present. Come to think of it, he could always give Nagito something from the MonoMono Yachine, but as for the cake, he’d need to bake one…   
  
… But Hajime didn’t know how to bake. 

“Damn it…” He muttered. 

He didn’t want his white-haired friend to find out what he was doing yet; He wanted to make sure that everything was in order first. He didn’t want anything to go wrong. But surely the lucky student would notice if the brunette managed to catch the entire hotel on fire trying to bake…

“I’ll need to ask for help.” He decided. Of course, who to employ to help him bake a cake was obvious. 

He didn’t particularly want to deal with Teruteru’s flirting today, but he’d manage, he supposed. 

Still, if he’d be working with the ever-talkative Ultimate Cook, his operation would be far from covert. If Nagito happened to wander into the restaurant, his cover would probably be blown pretty quickly. The little chef was far from quiet in his advances, after all.

He’d also have to get someone to distract the lucky boy, then. Though Kazuichi and Ibuki were the best people he knew in terms of being distracting, they weren’t particularly good at keeping secrets. If he asked either of them for help, he’d probably be found out pretty fast…

His best option, then, was probably someone trustworthy. His best friend, Chiaki, immediately comes to mind.

Perfect. Normally, he’d be a bit worried leaving her to distract the birthday boy, considering her tendency to fall asleep during random points in the day. However, he was sure Nagito wouldn’t leave her alone; He was far too considerate for that. 

So, next he’d need to figure out where to actually hold the party. It’d need to be a fairly open space, somewhere everyone could fit. Maybe the old building…?    
  
The thought immediately made him shudder, though he’s unsure as to why. Okay, maybe not there… Besides, it’d probably be a lot of work cleaning it up anyway...   
  
Well, the restaurant would already be safe from Nagito’s sights if Chiaki did a good job helping him, so maybe there…? 

Yeah, that’d work… They’d need to move some tables and chairs out of the way, but that was manageable. 

  
Alright, perfect! He could probably get Akane or Nekomaru to help him with that, and maybe Sonia could help with decoration. 

  
He nodded to himself, plan forming. Yes, he’s sure now, this party would be great if he had anything to say about it!

All he’d need to do now, then, was convince the others to help him.

  
And the best way to do that, of course, was bribery.    
  
So, Hajime decided to walk to the MonoMono Yachine, hoping to get some items that his friends would be interested in. He wasn’t sure how much he’d need to convince everyone, so he resigned himself to staying at the palm-tree shaped item dispenser for a while. 

\---

The restaurant was relatively quiet that morning, the Ultimates eating their breakfast in peace. Some students chattered quietly to one another, but for the most part, the area was calm. 

Though he’d expected it, it still sent a slight stab of rejection to Nagito’s heart. 

Spending time with the symbols of hope, though, was more than he could ever dare to wish for. Even if no one acknowledged what day it was, that was fine. He didn’t deserve the attention of the Ultimates anyway. 

Still, usually at least one person would bother talking to him… Yet here he was, completely alone. Though it was what he deserved, he couldn’t help but wonder why that was the case. Usually, at the very least Hajime would- 

  
Wait a minute…   
  
“Where’s Hajime...?” The lucky student murmured to himself, confusion spreading across his expression. He scanned across the area, but the brunette was nowhere to be seen. 

“Hmm, I dunno…” Mahiru murmured from the next table over. Nagito flinched; Ah, she’d heard him? That was unfortunate, no one should have to be subjected to hearing his pointless thoughts. But concern for an Ultimate… At least that was more bearable than his usual ramblings, right? 

“Where IS Hajime?” She continued, scanning the area much as the lucky student had.

“Who cares about that loser?” Hiyoko chimed in. “I could care less what he’s doing!”    
  
“Hiyoko, don’t be rude!” Mahiru snapped back. Surprisingly, the smaller girl quieted. “Fuyuhiko, have you seen him?” The redhead called, attracting the attention of yet another table of students. At this point, most of the restaurant had noticed the commotion.   
  
“Afraid not…” The blonde Ultimate muttered. 

“Hmm, quite troublesome… Should I look for him?” Peko suggested. 

“Oh, no! I’d hate for you to have to interrupt your meal over my meaningless worrying! Please, let me!” The lucky student insisted. Just as he was about to rise from his seat, though, he heard the sound of heavy footfall rushing up the stairs.   
  
He turned, as did the rest of the students, to see none other than Hajime Hinata himself rushing up the stairs.   
  
“Sorry I’m late…!” He gasped, panting. 

“What took you so long?” Byakuya barked from his seat, turning his attention back to his meal. “Punctuality is important, you know.”   
  
“Ah, a-again, sorry… I was busy.” 

“With what?” Sonia chirped curiously.

“Oh, nothing you all need to worry about just yet…” The late arrival replied, cryptic. “Anyway… Chiaki, can we talk for a minute?”    
  
“Hmm…?” The aforementioned girl hummed, eyes blinking open at the mention of her name. “Sure thing…”   
  
“Thanks.” He replied, moving over to her table in the corner of the room. And, as if it’d never happened, the room’s attention shifted away from him, meaningless chatter resuming.   
  
Again, Nagito felt a small stab of pain to his chest.

  
It was… Fine. It’s not like Hajime had any obligation to speak with him. In fact, this was probably better! He was getting a chance to bond with the other Ultimates! Surely this would help foster hope among them…

The white-haired student had just gotten too used to the other’s morning greetings, that was all. However brief, the slightest attention from the brunette would set his heart aflutter, the idea of a symbol of hope acknowledging him filling him with joy. But he should’ve remembered his place.

  
He was undeserving of Hajime’s attention. It was simple. Simple, and yet he somehow managed to forget it. How utterly stupid of him…

Nagito sighed quietly, picking at his food. He suddenly didn’t have much of an appetite anymore…   
  
Still, Teruteru had made this. He couldn’t possibly neglect to finish food made by an Ultimate. 

He knew, though, it’d be better had they let him starve. 

\---

“... So that’s my plan. I need you to help me distract him.”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
“If you do, I’ll- Wait, huh?” Hajime blinked. “You agreed that easily?”   
  
“Of course.” Chiaki yawned. “You’re my friend, and Nagito’s my friend too. Why wouldn’t I?”   
  
“Huh, yeah, you’ve got a good point… Guess I’ve just gotten too used to having to bribe Kazuichi into doing stuff for me. Not used to people willingly doing favors for me anymore…”    
  
“Heh..” She chuckled lightly. “Well, no need to worry. You won’t need to bribe me.”    
  
“Thanks.” 

“So, who are you gonna talk to next?” The gamer asked.

  
“Hmm, well…” He thought for a moment. “I should probably wait a while before I talk to Akane so that she’ll get hungry again, since I’ll be able to convince her easier that way, and since she’s probably gonna train with Nekomaru after breakfast, he’s out too. Sonia tends to go for walks or read in the mornings, so that means next is…”    
  
\---

Teruteru blinked, eyes shifting to the doorway of the kitchen. There stood Hajime. The chef grinned. 

“Oh, Hajime! What brings you here?” He purred. The other boy let out a weary sigh.

  
“I need your help with something.” He explained.   
  
“Oh?”    
  
“I’ve got something you’ll like in return. It’ll be worth it.” The other boy provided, not even giving Teruteru a chance to properly answer his initial request. The smaller student’s eyes widened.

“A-Ah?” He questioned, mind immediately racing to numerous inappropriate places. “And what might that be? I’m a tad busy, since I already have to prepare lunch and all...” His nose was already starting to smell like blood. In spite of his seemingly negatory words, he grinned widely.

Again, Hajime sighed. “Look. Salt.”    
  
Sure enough, he tossed Teruteru what seemed to be a small container of salt. He fumbled with it for a moment, surprised at having something thrown at him so suddenly (though this was far from the first time). Finally, he got a hold of it, gripping it steadily. 

“Supposedly came right from the island. High quality.” Hajime continued. “Figured you could use it for one of your recipes or something, since I know you’re always complaining about never having good ingredients from the supermarket.” 

  
Teruteru’s eyes lit up as he took in this new information, heart now racing for an entirely different reason than before. “Oh, wow, this is actually really helpful! Thank you, Hajime!”    
  
“No problem. Now, will you help me?”   
  
“Yeah, of course. I probably would’ve helped without the bribery…I was just teasing you, you know?” He grinned.    
  
Hajime groaned, facepalming. “Of course. I may have overestimated how many people would need to be bribed for this...”    
  
“Well, I still don’t know what we’re doing exactly, so I dunno how to answer that.”    
  
“Right. We’re baking Nagito a birthday cake.”    
  
Teruteru blinked, before his eyes widened, body tensing. “Oh, shit! That’s today?!”    
  
“Yep. No one noticed, so I decided I’d have to plan his party myself.” 

“Why didn’t you lead with that?! If we wanna make a good cake, we gotta get started right away!” The chef yelped, scrambling to get the proper ingredients from the fridge.   
  
“Oh, ah, alright! What should I do to help?”    
  
\---

Nagito hadn’t expected much to come of today. He’d expected to bask in the presence of the symbols of hope, to read in the library, maybe to go to the supermarket for a bit. Overall, he’d expected it to be average.   
  
He couldn’t have possibly predicted Chiaki Nanami suddenly inviting him out to spend time with her.    
  
He couldn’t possibly fathom why, exactly, she’d done this, but either way, he was endlessly grateful for it. For such a hopeful student to request for his presence… It gave him goosebumps! He could barely hide the huge grin threatening to overtake his face.

Maybe this birthday would be special after all. 

As of now, the two were walking peacefully along the beach, silent. Nagito, of course, had already thanked Chiaki for taking time out of her day to spend time with an insect like him numerous times, which she’d easily dismissed with a simple, “No problem.” It was a bit jarring to be accepted so casually, he’d admit, but he supposed that was just another great thing about the Ultimates. 

Breathing in the ocean air, enjoying the sun beaming down on him and feeling the sand beneath his feet, the white-haired boy could admit to feeling at peace. He couldn’t get too comfortable with the Ultimate Gamer at his side, of course, lest she think he wasn’t appreciating her presence enough, but he still couldn’t help but let his guard down a bit. 

A gentle breeze drifted through the area, sweeping over him lightly. A small smile crossed his features. 

“Oh…!” Chiaki exclaimed softly, looking up suddenly. “Sorry, one second, kay?”    
  
“O-Oh, um, okay?” Nagito agreed, confused as to what the other was doing. He watched as the short girl walked quickly over to Akane and Nekomaru, who seemed to have just finished training. 

They talked quietly among themselves, far enough away so that the lucky student couldn’t hear them. He was curious, yes, but he remained a respectful distance away nonetheless. If Chiaki had approached the others so quickly, it must’ve been important. 

He watched as the expressions on the other’s faces changed, and for just a moment, they glanced over to him. He tensed, unsure of what to do with the Ultimate’s eyes on them. Just as quickly, they glanced away.   
  
Though he hadn’t actually done anything of note, the white-haired student couldn’t help but think he’d acted foolishly. He curled in on himself as subtly as he could, feeling worthless.    
  


… What  _ were  _ they talking about, anyway…? 

Chiaki points off somewhere, and the other two nod, making their way over to the direction she’d gestured to. The lucky student’s head tilts curiously. 

Surprisingly, she makes her way back to him right after. He blinked. Oh?    
  
“Alright, thanks for waiting. Let’s keep walking now.”    
  
“O-Oh, okay!” He chirped, excited. The Ultimate still wanted to spend time with him? Even after talking to the other symbols of hope? Surely she’d realized that they were much more worthy of her presence, right? And yet she was still talking with him?    
  
A pang of guilt struck him, his eyebrows furrowing. Wait, this was nothing to be excited over. In fact, he should feel bad.

He shouldn’t be wasting her time like this. She should be off doing better things, talking to much better people than him. Yet, it’d be far too rude to deny her his company after she’d requested it… 

They continue walking in silence, the air significantly more heavy despite the calm ocean breeze.

\---

“Hajime, come on, you’re not going hard enough! The frosting needs to be creamier!”   
  
“Is that ANOTHER innuendo?”    
  
“Urgh, for the love of- For once in my life, no, I’m being serious!”    
  
“A-Ah, okay, sorry…!” 

Cake making was going fairly well. Teruteru, of course, had been flirting with Hajime a significant chunk of the time they’d spent baking, but he was doing it a lot less than he usually would. The short chef had actually been surprisingly serious, all things considered. He supposed that the shorter student really did take his cooking seriously. 

He found himself thankful for the other’s cooperation. It was nice knowing that the chef understood how important this was.

  
“Yo!” A familiar voice called from the stairway. He turned to see Akane strolling in with Nekomaru in tow. “We heard you needed our help! You’re planning Nagito a birthday party?”   
  
“Yeah!” Hajime grinned, a grateful feeling welling up in his heart. Chiaki must’ve asked them to come over for him. “I need you guys to move some tables out of the way, and maybe bring a few to the center of the room so we all have a place to sit. Now, I know this may be a bit inconvenience for you, so-”    
  
“No problem!” Nekomaru roared, looking pumped up already. “This’ll be a breeze!”    
  
“Yeah!” Akane chimed, grinning.   
  
“... They really agreed that easily… Ugh, why’d I even bother going to the MonoMono Yachine this morning, then…?!” 

Teruteru laughed, reminding him of the present situation. “Hajime, you’ve already done a lot for all of us, you know? I’m sure everyone’s more than happy to return the favor! I really don’t see why you thought you’d need to bribe us in the first place, not that I mind.” 

Hajime pinched at the bridge of his nose, grumbling. Stupid Kazuichi, making him forget most humans were decent enough to agree to favors like this if they had time…

“No need to worry!” The chef chuckled. “Besides, we can use this salt for the cake!” 

“Huh? You put salt in cake?”    
  
“Yeah, that’s pretty normal. Helps bring out the other flavors, you know?”    
  
“Ah, I guess that makes sense…”    
  
The two resume cake-making, Hajime channeling his focus back to the frosting as Akane and Nekomaru began moving the tables around.   
  
\---

Nagito and Chiaki wandered into the library, quiet. The smell of old books hung heavy in the air, familiar and comforting. Nagito couldn’t help but feel relaxed here. 

“Hajime got me a book on tips for video games recently, so I thought we could read together here for a bit. I probably already know most of them, but it’ll still be really interesting to see everything that made it into the book, you know?” The shorter Ultimate explained. 

“Yeah, I get what you mean!” Nagito smiled nervously. “Unfortunately, I didn’t bring anything to read myself… Do you mind if I go look for something real quick?”    
  
“Of course.” Chiaki smiled, and the taller student felt useless. Although he had no way of knowing she would’ve wanted to come here, he still felt like he should’ve been better prepared.

He rushed over to the bookshelves, hoping to find something quickly. A lot of the books here weren’t written in languages he understood, though, so he couldn’t just grab whatever he saw first. He struggled for a moment, before his eye finally caught sight of a set of words he could actually read. 

  
He grabbed the book quickly, not even bothering to check what it was about, before rushing back to Chiaki. He slowed, though, when he noticed she was talking with Sonia. When did Sonia get here, anyway? Had he not noticed her? Nagito, again, felt useless, hunching in on himself. 

“... Got it! I’ll head over there right away!” The princess smiled, and the shorter of the two nodded appreciatively.

“Good, thank you. He’ll appreciate it a lot, I think…” The gamer said, grinning. The taller girl hummed in affirmation and rushed off.   
  
Shit.   
  
Nagito had just eavesdropped, hadn’t he? Wow, he really was worthless…

“Ah, Nagito!” Chiaki chirped, noticing him standing next to one of the shelves. He tensed. “Did you find something to read yet?”   
  
“Um, yes…” He confirmed, nodding. 

“Ah, good… Want to read together, then?”    
  
“Of course.” He agreed. The small girl was already standing next to a table, and decided to sit down there, pulling out a chair. He quickly joined her. 

The gamer opened up her book, and the other student followed suit. The room fell silent. 

He was unsure as to what Chiaki and Sonia were talking about, but nevertheless, he felt incredibly guilty for listening in on them as he had. Again, he couldn’t help but wonder why the girl was continuing to spend time with him. 

She’d conversed with three other Ultimates now, all leagues ahead of his miserable self. All of them were surely better company than he’d ever be. Yet here she remained, reading with Nagito in the library with a relaxed expression. 

He was grateful for that, of course, but he couldn’t help but be wracked with guilt. What had he done to deserve being in the presence of someone so far above him…?

\---

“What now…?” Hajime asked, crouched down next to the oven. Teruteru stood next to him, having just put the cake inside.    
  
“Now, we wait.”    
  
“Oh…”   
  
“Normally, I would’ve had something else to do while we waited, but we finished everything up way faster than I expected… I suppose having two people around instead of just one really does make a difference.” 

“Yeah…” Hajime agreed. He wondered whether or not Nagito would enjoy the party; He had few worries about the cake, considering Teruteru had helped him with it, but everything else remained rather uncertain. 

“I have arrived!” Sonia called from the stairway, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“Oh, hey Sonia!” Akane grinned. “We just finished setting up the tables!” 

“Excellent!” Sonia nodded, although she hadn’t actually heard why the tables were set up like that yet. “I heard from Chiaki that you needed my assistance, Hajime. What can I help with?”    
  
“Well, I figured you probably have the best eye for design out of all of us…” The brunette began. “So I was hoping you’d help me decorate the restaurant. It’s Nagito’s birthday, so I wanted to have a party for him.” 

The princess blinked, and just as Hajime was about to offer her something in exchange for her assistance, she broke into a grin. “Of course, I would love to help! I am honored you thought me worthy to help with something so important!” 

“O-Of course…” Hajime trailed off.   
  
“I will go to the supermarket now to gather supplies! I shall return shortly!”    
  
“Sure thing. Bye…” The boy waved. He noticed Teruteru smirking beside him. He sighed. 

“What’s that in your pocket?” The shorter asked. Ah, he must’ve noticed Hajime reaching for it when he was talking to Sonia… He reached inside of his shirt pocket to reveal an occult photo frame he’d assumed the princess would be interested in.

Teruteru let out a hearty laugh.

\---

The two students had spent about half an hour in the library now. Nagito was grateful for every second of the time he spent here at Chiaki’s side. Being able to simply exist in the presence of an Ultimate like this, even with no words exchanged, was incredibly special to him.

  
He’d sear this moment into his mind forever.

  
That said, though, he had made an unfortunate mistake.

The book he’d picked was painfully boring. 

He didn’t regret rushing to get a book. Had he kept Chiaki waiting, he’d have felt truly awful. However, he could safely say that he wasn’t invested in this particular story whatsoever.    
  
Then again, it’s not like someone as worthless as him deserved proper entertainment. 

Sighing softly, he glanced up to his reading partner, hoping she was having a better time than him. 

He was met with the sight of the girl breathing softly, eyes drifted shut. 

  
Ah. Well, that was to be expected. The girl slept a lot as is, and being around someone as painstakingly boring as him was sure to amplify that issue. 

Still, waking her would be far too rude to do, and Nagito would rather die than accidentally do as such trying to pick out a different book. 

So, he continued to read the mind-numbingly plain story he already had in front of him.   
  
He should be grateful. Even if she had ended up falling asleep, Chiaki was endlessly kind to decide to spend time with the likes of him.

\---

“We have returned!” Sonia called out, strolling up the stairs of the restaurant. 

“Oh, great! The cake is almost ready, so we’ll be able to start the party soon. Did you find some good decorations?” Hajime asked, poking his head out of the kitchen. 

“Indeed!” An unexpected, deep voice cackled. “We have gathered the suitable items to enhance our ritual! Surely, no day will be more joyous than this one!” 

“Yeah! Anything to make Miss Sonia happy!”    
  
“Oh, Kazuichi, Gundham. Hi.” Hajime greeted, blinking. 

“I found them on my way to the supermarket, and I decided that their help would be most valued! Thanks to them, I was able to bring all of the needed supplies here at once!” Sonia grinned.   
  
“Alright, cool. Glad to hear everything went well.” 

She nodded. “Right! Let us now proceed in setting up the area!”    
  
“Right! This ceremony will be one most intriguing!” The Ultimate Breeder laughed boisterously. 

Kazuichi rubbed at his neck, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Sure thing, Miss Sonia…” 

Hajime sighed sadly as he watched the others set up. Sonia was lucky. She didn’t have to bribe Kazuichi into doing favors for her, no sir. She could just ask politely and he’d agree…

Teruteru barely suppressed his chuckles. 

Hajime decided to ignore the laughter, continuing forward. 

\---

Nagito was about halfway through the book now, mind wandering. He took in each word lazily, none sticking or catching his interest. His mind felt far away.

Why? Why had Chiaki invited him to spend time with her? Surely she didn’t know what day it was, otherwise she probably would’ve said something. And yet, he could think of no other explanation. 

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Ah, of course. This must’ve just been another result of his luck. Lucky Nagito, getting to spend his birthday with an Ultimate. That must’ve been it. Something anyone else may call a coincidence.    
  
But Nagito knew better. 

He frowned, fidgeting nervously. Silently, he apologized to Chiaki. Though he couldn’t control his luck, he still felt manipulative… 

Well, even if it was a result of his luck cycle, it’d be far too rude to leave her alone after she’d sought him out like this. He’d have to spend the day with her as usual, then. 

… For some reason, he suddenly felt very lonely. 

Why was that? It’s not as though he’d actually expected someone to spend time with him entirely of their own volition. Even on a day like today, he knew he didn’t deserve that. And yet still, his heart ached.

… Spending time with Chiaki was probably the only good thing to happen to him today.

He’d fallen out of bed when he’d woken up that morning, he’d accidentally eavesdropped on the one person nice enough to decide to spend time with him, he’d gotten stuck reading this awful book, he’d been ignored by Hajime… Indeed, almost nothing good had happened.   
  
He sighed quietly. Well, he couldn’t ask for anything more than this. It’s not like rolling out of bed had hurt that much. It’s not as if Chiaki wasn’t already disgusted with him. It’s not as though he deserved to read anything better than this boring story. 

And it’s certainly not like he deserved Hajime’s attention at all. 

Hajime, who was sure to have an incredible talent. Hajime, who was kind even to scum like him. Hajime, who brought him the most hope out of everyone. 

  
He was nothing more than an insect compared to Hajime. No, he was lower than an insect. He was nothing but the dirt beneath Hajime’s shoes. Nothing more than a speck of dust. 

People as great as Hajime didn’t acknowledge something so lowly. People as great as Hajime didn’t speak to people like Nagito. 

… And yet, he did. 

Hajime greeted Nagito in the mornings. Hajime waved to Nagito when they crossed paths. Hajime grinned at Nagito as he walked along the beach. Hajime talked with Nagito when no one else would. 

Hajime acknowledged Nagito. Hajime spoke to Nagito. 

It made him feel sick.

It made Nagito want to smile and laugh and praise him. It made Nagito feel like his heart was going to burst. It made Nagito feel feverish and it made his stomach feel strange. 

Out of everyone on the island, he couldn't help but be most excited to talk to Hajime.    
  
But Nagito didn’t deserve that. Nagito would  _ never  _ deserve that. And one day, Hajime would realize that too. 

So, he might as well stop wishing it would happen. He may as well quit wanting it to continue. Because it wouldn’t. He knew it wouldn’t. 

His luck wouldn’t allow for that. 

His train of thought was broken by a quiet hum. The white-haired student blinked, glancing up.

  
“Ah…? Oh… I fell asleep…” Chiaki yawned quietly, rubbing at her eyes. Her hand slowly dropped, and she looked up at him. Even though those rose-colored eyes were incredibly gentle, Nagito still couldn’t help but feel she was seeing right through him, down to his decaying core. 

“How long have I been out?” She asked.

“Ah, probably about an hour or so…” The lucky student replied.   
  
“Oh, good… They’re probably nearly finished, then… Maybe a half an hour more…”    
  
“Huh?”   
  
“It’s nothing to worry about… Just talking to myself.” The girl mumbled. 

“Ah, alright…” The boy trailed off. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was talking about, but clearly he was unworthy to know. 

“Anyway, do you wanna do something else now? If I start reading again, I’ll fall asleep, I think…”    
  
“Yeah, okay.” 

The two make their way out of the library and around the various islands. During the time they’re out, they run into Mikan, Byakuya, Ibuki, Mahiru, Hiyoko, Fuyuhiko, and Peko. Each time Chiaki and Nagito came across a bunch of students, the Ultimate Gamer would tell him to wait, and she’d go talk with them.

  
Though certain she’d realize how much better company the other Ultimates were compared to him each time, she never abandoned him. Instead, whoever she was talking to would walk off, and she’d return to his side.

Each time this happened, Nagito grew more and more nervous, very careful not to overhear anything else. 

  
Each time this would happen, Chiaki would grin softly to herself, as if she knew something secret. 

\---

“HAJIME!!” An energetic voice called out, and moments later, arms wrap around the aforementioned student and knock him to the floor. 

Teruteru, though not actually near the two, takes a few steps back anyway, cake held protectively in his hands. “Ey, watch it! Ya better be careful!” He says, voice suddenly attaining a strange accent.   
  
“Sorry, sorry!” The voice chuckles, and Hajime groans.    
  
“Geez, Ibuki, you’ve really gotta warn me before you do that…” 

She laughs, but neither confirms nor denies his words. 

“... Anyway, I assume you heard it’s Nagito’s birthday? We’re preparing his party here right now, actually.” 

“Yeah, Chiaki told me! She said it’d probably be done soon, and that we should all show up!” The Ultimate Musician chirped. 

“We?”    
  
“Yes, we.” A cool, collected voice spoke.    
  
“Gah!! P-Peko, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Hajime yelped, flinching back. Ibuki giggled.    
  
“My apologies.” The swordswoman replied. “As you can see, everyone has gathered here now, except for Chiaki and Nagito.” She gestured out to the main area of the restaurant.   
  
Sure enough, almost everyone had arrived, though most hadn’t bothered to come say hello. Hajime smiled.   
  
“Oh, perfect. That saves me the trouble of having to send someone to gather you all.”    
  
“Indeed. It was very considerate of Chiaki to send everyone here. Sonia requested we help her, Gundham, and Kazuichi with setting up the decorations so that we may finish faster, too. Everything should be ready soon.” 

Hajime’s expression shifted to one of slight annoyance, and he bit back a jealous sigh. Teruteru smirked. “Of course. I’ll… Make sure to thank everyone for agreeing to help her.” 

Peko nods, and without any further conversation, exits.    
  
“Man, this is gonna be sick!” Ibuki laughs, a childlike excitement clear in her tone. She hopped up and down excitedly. 

“Oh, that reminds me! Ibuki, do you think that maybe you can sing something for the party? Some music would probably help the atmosphere.” Hajime requested, blissfully unaware of Ibuki’s preferred genre of song. 

  
He was about to offer her something in return, but before he even had the chance to open his mouth, her face lit up, eyes taking on an excited gleam. 

“Are you kidding?!” She cried. “Of course!! Yes, yes, yes!! This is gonna be the best birthday ever!!” 

“O-Oh, good!” The brunette replied, overwhelmed by her immediate response. 

Ibuki opened her mouth, about to say something else, when a loud crash was heard from the main area of the restaurant, along with a familiar squeal. 

“Ooh! That’s Ibuki’s que to leave!” She grins, skipping out of the room. 

Not even needing to look to see what had happened, Hajime quickly moved to cover Teruteru’s eyes before he could consider following the musician.

“Wh- Hey!! What’s the big idea?! Come on, let me see!”    
  
“Nope, no can do. Unlike you, Teruteru, I respect women.” 

  
“I-I’m sorry!” Mikan called out from the other room, distant. “This is so embarrassing!”    
  


Her apology was quickly followed by numerous swears from Hiyoko, Kazuichi screaming, Ibuki screaming but in an excited way, Gundham making some over-the-top exclamation, and Mahiru finally helping the nurse to her feet. 

Hajime sighed, before finally releasing his grip on the Ultimate Cook. 

“Ugh, you’re no fun, Hajime…” 

“Whatever. Let’s just finish setting up the party already…” Hajime insisted. “Before anything worse happens.” 

“Fine, fine…” The shorter brunette sighed. 

All was silent for a long moment.

“... Ugh, I can’t believe I wasted all my Monocoins just to find out I didn’t even need to bribe anyone!” Hajime realized, groaning and slapping a palm to his forehead.    
  
The chef chuckled. 

\---

Chiaki and Nagito walked along in silence, both seeming deep in thought. The latter frowned, guilty.   
  
… He couldn’t let this go on any longer. The guilt was eating him alive. He had to be honest. It wouldn’t duno his misdeeds, but at the very least, it may alleviate this weight on his chest.

So, mustering up his courage, the Ultimate Lucky Student spoke.   
  
“Hey, Chiaki?” 

The aforementioned Ultimate hummed in acknowledgement. 

“I, um… Accidentally overheard part of your conversation with Sonia earlier.” 

“Oh no.” She spoke immediately, eyes widening. “How much do you know?”    
  
“H-Huh?” Nagito squeaked, immediately growing anxious seeing her apparent panic. “N-Not much, I just heard that she was going somewhere? I don’t really know what you were talking about or anything, I just felt bad… Scum like me shouldn’t be privy to any information exchanged between Ultimates…” 

“Oh,” She sighed. “Good, good… Thank you for being honest.”    
  
“N-No problem…” He replied. 

His curiosity had increased tenfold now, but he ignored it. As much as he was curious about whatever Chiaki was so panicked about him knowing, he didn’t deserve to find out. That much was obvious. If she wanted to keep secrets from him, he’d accept that. 

… Still, he couldn’t help but wonder. Was she talking about him, perhaps? Maybe that’s what she was so nervous about?   
  
If she was talking about him, surely she’d only be saying bad things.

  
He chuckled sadly. Silly Chiaki. Whatever she had to say about him, he already knew he deserved to hear. She didn’t need to hide something like that. 

\----

“... Okay, I think that should do it.” Hajime decided, looking around the room. Everything looked perfect. The tables and chairs were pushed to the wall, out of the way. One small section of tables was set up for Ibuki as a makeshift stage, and a larger array were pressed together to form a big table to enjoy the cake at.    
  
The cake was, of course, already set up at the table’s center. Unlit candles were pressed into its top. Byakuya was on standby with a lighter; He’d been trusted to hold it since he was least likely to set himself on fire. 

He circled the table on more time, taking in the rest of the room, before nodding approvingly. “Yep, this should do…”    
  
“Hell yeah!” Fuyuhiko grinned, pumping a fist in the air. 

“I-I-I’m sure he’ll l-love it… You did a great job, H-Hajime.” Mikan assured. 

The boy hummed. “Thank you, everyone. I’ll go get him now.”   
  
“Oh! That means it is time for all of us to hide, right?” Sonia chirped, grinning brightly. 

“Huh?”   
  
“This is a surprise party, yes?”

“Oh. I mean, I was actually only setting things up in secret because I thought we were gonna fuck something up, but you know what, sure. Everyone, go hide.” 

“Huh?! You really thought that?! Have a little more faith in us, man!” Kazuichi whined.    
  
“Shut up, I wasted all of my Monocoins because of you…”    
  
“Eh?”   
  
“Nevermind. Bye, everyone.” Hajime sighed. 

A chorus of goodbyes filled the room, and Hajime stepped outside.

\---

Earlier, Chiaki had led Nagito to a small patch of the beach on the first island, telling him she had wanted to rest. He’d agreed, of course. Why wouldn’t he?

So now, here they were.   
  
Chiaki, asleep. Nagito, wide awake.   
  
Her head on his shoulder. 

The lucky student was massively uncomfortable with this development. Touching. He was touching Chiaki. He was tainting this innocent girl with his skin. Truly, this was an entirely unpleasant development.   
  
He felt sick. An entirely different kind of sick than the sickness he’d feel with Hajime.

… Hajime? Why was he thinking about Hajime right now?    
  
His heart ached. Maybe, if he was here, Chiaki would’ve fallen asleep on him instead. Maybe he would’ve handled that better. Maybe he would’ve been able to enjoy it.

  
But why did that thought fill him with such discontent? Of course Hajime was more worthy of Chiaki’s trust, and of course Chiaki was more worthy of Hajime’s affection. That much was obvious.

Suddenly, the image of Nagito falling asleep on Hajime’s shoulder entered the student’s mind. He blushed. 

What would the shorter boy think of something like that? Would he just move him? Would he let him sleep? Would he enjoy it?    
  
… Wait, what? Of course he wouldn’t enjoy something like that! Nagito was disgusting. Nagito was filth, he was trash. Why would Hajime tolerate him at all, let alone enjoy his presence?!

The Ultimate Lucky Student felt confused. Why was he thinking these thoughts, anyway… It’s not like something like that would ever actually hap-

“Nagito!” The boy was snapped out of his thoughts, a familiar voice suddenly yelling out his name. He flinched harshly, startled. 

  
“Huh…?” Chiaki murmured, pushing up off of the other to rub the sleep out of her eyes. 

(Nagito felt a weird surge of gratefulness for the lack of contact.) 

“Oh… Sorry, I must’ve fallen asleep on you…”    
  
“I-It’s okay.” 

“Nagito! Hey!” The same voice called out again. He blinked, turning to see a familiar figure running towards him. 

Oh. He hadn’t been imagining that? What a pleasant surprise!    
  
“Hajime!” The lucky student grinned, warmth filling him. “What brings you here?” 

“Follow me, I wanna show you something.” He replied.

“Ah, you came here to find me? I’m truly honored!” Nagito gushed, a bubbly feeling filling up his chest. The other boy looked as though he wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it, remaining silent. Instead, he merely offered the white-haired boy his hand.

The Ultimate Lucky Student took it gratefully, rising to his feet, before pausing.

Wait.    
  
He’d just touched Hajime.    
  
Entirely willingly. Entirely without hesitation. 

  
Immediately, a torrent of negative thoughts struck him, but more prominently was confusion. 

  
Why did contact with Hajime feel so much different than contact with Chiaki? Why was he so much more willing to touch him, to the point where he’d done so without even thinking about it? What was this burning in his palm? What was this fluttering in his heart?

“Come on, follow me.” The boy spoke, confident, as if not even realizing what he’d done. As if not even understanding that he was touching Nagito, the most disgusting being on this island. As if not even realizing what such casual contact may do to the lucky boy’s heart. 

“...’Kay…” Chiaki slurred, not seeming fully awake.

And, as casual as ever, Hajime walked forward, hand still entertwined with Nagito’s, leading him forward. 

Nagito’s face lit up in a blush, red overtaking his features. 

Holding hands. Holding hands holding hands holding hands-   
  
Hajime Hinata was holding his hand. 

Hajime Hinata was leading him towards their destination, ever so casually. Hajime Hinata was walking with him and he wasn’t letting go of his hand and he wasn’t pulling away-

  
And Nagito Komaeda was enjoying it.   
  
Why…? Why was he enjoying it so much?    
  
Why wasn’t Hajime letting go? Why wasn’t Nagito  _ telling  _ him to let go? 

His heart pounded in his chest. 

Yawning, Chiaki grasped his other hand. He gasped a bit, but other than that, had no reaction, far too focused on Hajime to care that the sleepy girl was touching him again. 

Why… Why was that? Why has Hajime’s skin touching him causing so much more of a reaction? Why was the palm entertwined with Hajime’s burning up while the palm Chiaki held in her loose grip was only warm? If anything, shouldn’t it be the other way around?   
  
What was going on in his head?   
  
What was happening?   
  
Before the white-haired boy knew it, though, they’d arrived at their destination.

… He’d need to think about that more later. For now, he had to focus.

The trio stood quietly outside of the hotel. Nagito blinked. Was this what the other boy had wanted to show him? 

The brunette walked forward, releasing the paler student’s hand from his grip (to which Nagito felt an ever-so-slight pang of disappointment) and opening up the door. 

“After you.” He spoke, gesturing through the doorway.   
  
“Yeah, after you.” Chiaki repeated from behind him.   
  
“... Huh?” Nagito blinked. Wait, were they…? 

Hajime nodded wordlessly. 

“HUH?” What… Was happening?! “I… Okay?” 

Unsure, Nagito walked through the doorway, face flushing. Why…?    
  
“Upstairs.” Hajime spoke simply.   
  
Not wanting to dwell on why he’d let Nagito in first any longer, the white-haired boy slowly made his way upstairs. Everything felt slow, quiet, until… 

“SURPRISE!!” A chorus of cheers erupted, Nagito’s classmates jumping out at him from every direction. Startled, Nagito flinched, instinctively taking a few steps backwards. 

He hadn’t remembered that was still on the stairs.   
  
Yelping, he tripped, falling through the air. His eyes squeezed shut as he brought his arms helplessly in front of his face, despite knowing he’d fall backwards and that this wouldn’t help. Instead of hitting the cold, hard floor, though, he instead felt himself wrapped up in something soft and warm. 

“Are you okay?!” He heard Hajime yell out. His eyes shot open, looking right up at the other boy’s concerned face.

  
Hajime. Hajime was holding Nagito in his arms, one arm locked firmly onto the handrail and the other wrapped protectively around the lucky student’s frail figure. 

His face lit up in red. 

_ Thump, thump, thump… _

Could Hajime feel his heartbeat underneath his skin…?    
  
Slowly, the brunette helped him to his feet. The Ultimate’s legs were shaking, likely from the adrenaline of the fall. 

“M-Maybe a surprise party wasn’t the best idea…” The boy muttered. 

Wait… Surprise party…?    
  
Nagito looked back up to the top of the stairwell, and his eyes widened. All of his other classmates stared back at him, concern written across their expressions and pointy hats atop their heads. Strewn around them were green, white, and red streamers. The tables and chairs were pushed out of the way, aside from a conglomerate of tables with a decorated cake in its center.

The words slowly seeped into the lucky student’s head.   
  
Surprise party.   
  
Surprise party.

  
_ Birthday… Party. _

_ Nagito’s birthday party. _

Realization slowly sinks into his features. It was why Chiaki had been acting so suspiciously. Why she’d been so panicked when she thought he’d overheard her. Why everyone she talked to seemed to head towards the same direction. Why Hajime had been ignoring him.

_ Hajime.  _

Hajime had talked to Chiaki that morning, and ever since breakfast, Chiaki had been with him all day. So that means the one who planned this was probably…

Nagito’s vision blurred. 

“N-Nagito?!” Hajime exclaimed. “Are you alright?!” 

“Ah, shit, this party’s already a disaster…” Hiyoko groaned from somewhere upstairs. 

“D-Did… Did you… Plan this?” He snivelled, voice low and tremulous.    
  
“Um… Yes? N-Not the you falling down part, I mean, but, uh, t-the party, yeah...” The brunette answered, clearly nervous.

Tears began to roll down Nagito’s cheeks. Slowly, he broke out into a wide grin.

  
“Th… Thank you… Thank you so much…!” He cried out, startling those around him. “I-I… Thank you… What’d I possibly do to deserve this…?!” 

Hajime’s shoulders untensed, and a small smile crossed his features. 

“You’re my friend, Nagito. Of course you deserve this.” He spoke. Nagito froze.

  
To say such kind words, and so casually… He let out a sob, trembling.    
  
Happy… This was probably the happiest he’d ever been. He wanted this moment to last forever. 

Slowly, the brunette took the trembling boy into his arms. The boy’s tearful green eyes widened. 

  
A hug.    
  
When was the last time someone…?    
  
Quickly, Nagito wrapped his arms around Hajime in turn, all thoughts of how he didn’t deserve to touch the other gone for a moment. His heart pounded in his chest, and strangely enough, he could feel Hajime’s heart pounding too. 

Chiaki grinned gently at the sight, but Nagito didn’t pay any attention to that, instead burying his face into the other student’s neck. 

Quietly, Hajime spoke, the rumble of his chest accompanying a set of comforting words. Words that the taller boy, whether he’d actually acknowledged it or not, had been wanting to hear all day. 

“Happy birthday, Nagito.” 


End file.
